Spring-skate



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. MITCHELL, 0F SOUTH BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPRING-SKATE.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. MITCHELL, of South Boston, in the county ofSutfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Spring-Skate; and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l, is a side elevation. Fig. 2, a top view; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section of it. Fig. 4, is a transverse section taken through one of the runner tenons.

In constructing a spring skate or one which has its foot rest supported by springs interposed bet-ween it and the runner, it becomes important to reduce the depth of the skate as much as possible consistent with the necessary length and strength of each of the springs. The deeper a skate may be, the greater will be the leverage or lateral strain exerted by it on the ankle of the wearer. Consequently, the reduction of depth is a point of much importance to be taken into account in making any skate. Furthermore, it is desirable to have the skate so made that in case of breakage of a spring, the runner may be locked so as to be stationary relatively to its foot rest. By these principles, I have been governed in making my invention in the carrying out of which, I construct the foot rest, A, of the skate of castiron or other suitable material and with two vertical spring sockets or cylindrical chambers, a, a, arranged in itas shown in thel drawings each ot' such sockets being for the recept-ion of a helical spring, b, having not only its upper end resting against the top part e', of the socket, but its lower end in contact with the upper edge of the runner, B. Alongside of or near to each of said spring chambers, a, I make in the foot rest, another vertical socket or passage, c, and intercept the same by a horizontal passage, d, carried through it and the foot rest and formed as shown in the drawings. Furthermore, I extend upward from the runner and into the sockets, c, o, two projections or tenons, c, e, each being made in width to correspond with that of its socket. A stop or pin, f, should next be passed through each tenon and so as to project beyond it, or in opposite directions into the cross passage, cZ, thereof, the pin resting on the b0t tom of the passage when the spring may be extended and serving to conne not only the 27,232, dated February 21, 1860.

spring but the runner in place relatively to the foot rest.

The separate tenon socket enables a longer spring, or one with more elasticity to be used than could be employed were the tenon to extend into the spring and in line of its axis, and therefore we are enabled to obtain much vertical and easy movement of the runner, without that increase of depth of the skate which would result from the tenon being placed within the' spring and having its stop pin, or its equivalent above the spring.

When the stop pins may be resting on the bottom of the transverse passages, the top of each tenon may be a short distance below that of the transverse passage. Under these circumstances should a spring break, a wedge may be inserted through the transverse passage and over the tenon so as to lock the runner or make it stationary rela tively to the foot rest. This will enable the skate to be used until it may be convenient to either repair the spring or remove it and supply its place with another.

In order that the runner may have suhcient play in a vertical direction to force the coils of each of the springs very nearly or closely together, the spring and tenon sockets may be provided with openings leading out of them and arranged in the plane of movement of the runner, such openings being shown at c', 7c, in Figs. 5, and 6, which are sections of the skate and are taken respectively in front of one spring socket and in rear of its fellow tenon socket.

I do not claim the invention of supporting the foot rest of a skate on springs sustained by its runner, but

I claim- An improved skate as having its foot rest, A, constructed not only with sockets, a, a, for the reception of helical springs b, for supporting the foot rest on the runner, B, but with separate sockets, o, c, and lateral passages, CZ, (Z, arranged with reference to the springs, I), substantially in manner and to receive tenons and holding pins or stops connected with the runner as hereinbefore described.

JoHN s. MITCHELL.

eoA 

